Hong Kong residents from all walks of life collect online signatures and hold a gathering on Sunday morning to show their support for the draft bill to safeguard the national security law to be implemented in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The legal agenda was announced on Thursday night. Photo: cnsphoto

 Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said at her weekly news briefing on Tuesday that the constitutional foundation of the national security law to be implemented in Hong Kong is solid and firm and not in violation of the region's Basic Law.

Lam said that the law is established at the national level and aims to improve the Hong Kong Basic Law.

At the briefing, she slammed the Hong Kong Bar Association's opinion on the national security law as "unfounded" and insisted that Beijing has unquestionable legal and power basis.

 It is "absurd" to say the law would hurt Hong Kong's international status as "many Western democratic countries also have that law," she said.

The association claimed Monday that the central government had no legal authority to enact its proposed national security law for Hong Kong by promulgation, saying the law was "entirely unclear" how that arrangement would comply with the Basic Law, which stipulates that Beijing departments do not interfere in local affairs, Hong Kong media reported.

Lam also strongly condemned the weekend riots backed by anti-government forces, noting that many HK residents support the law.

The rebuke came after various black-clad protesters descended onto the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday, taking part in illegal protests and defying the proposed national security law, claiming it erodes the "one country, two systems" principle and infringes upon their legitimate rights. The Sunday protests were quickly dispersed by police.

The national security law for Hong Kong is looming as the draft decision on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for HKSAR to safeguard national security was submitted to China's top legislature on Friday during the ongoing two sessions - the country's most important annual political event. 

The draft stipulates that the relevant legislative responsibilities of the National People's Congress Standing Committee aim to effectively prevent, stop, and punish any activity occurring in the HKSAR territory that attempts to split the country, subvert state power, organize and perpetrate terrorist activities, including other actions that seriously endanger national security.  

Hong Kong residents from all walks of life collected online signatures and held a gathering on Sunday to show their support for the draft bill to safeguard the national security law to be implemented in Hong Kong. As of Sunday evening, more than 100,000 people had signed the online petition, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Global Times